Page 27 of Stars May Fall

The way he had overcome Lord Lyrason’s guards still sent shivers through me. What if Kasten really did aim to overthrow my father? What if his suspicions grew, and he thought he was in the right to do so? I couldn't let him hurt my family or destroy Fenland from the inside, but I didn’t want him to be used as a scapegoat either. He had earned my grudging respect.

I emptied the velvet pouch, and a small metal ball the size of a fingernail fell into my hand—his listening device.

“I’m not your spy,” I whispered out loud to make myself feel better. But I could do this for myself.

I’d already fastened the receiving pole under the table in Father’s office. That side was a flat square with a tiny hare embossed in one corner. There was nothing that would trace it to anyone other than Lyrason. I wondered how many of these devices he had scattered around the palace. There was probably a second one already in Father’s office.

I walked into the room next door, a reception room normally used for entertaining foreign guests. It was empty and the curtains drawn. I sat down in the gloom between two chairs and placed the ball into my ear.

After a moment of strange echoes and distorted noise, Father’s voice became clear.

“I just don’t understand what you were playing at, Lyrason! Why did you get involved between Sir Halfield and Kasten?”

Lord Lyrason’s voice was tight and clipped. “General Kasten has been disrupting my experiments for months. He knows too much. That Callum Tavolyn is also too smart for his own good. You want Kasten dead too. He almost was. I hadn’t intended for his wife to get bitten and him to get out unscathed. But then I thought he would simply commit treason with his regiment and so give you an excuse to execute him.”

I blinked. Did that mean…that couldn’t mean…

Father spoke. “He suspects and hatesyou. We don’t want these arguments to spill out into the palace or Adenburg. Due to your actions, that whole situation got out of control.”

I held my breath and clenched my fists, cold flooding my insides. Fatherknewabout the halfsouls. He had known all along. My heart started to pound.

I made out the sound of shifting bodies. Lyrason sounded furious. “Your current anger and frustration are completely misdirected. The main threat to Fenland just rode home without consequences after killing dozens of my guards. On the other hand, who saved Stirling? Who helps your wife? You owe their lives to me. I have worked tirelessly for years following your orders, yet you did not lift a finger to defend me when I needed it. In fact, you give menothingfor my unending loyalty.”

I pressed my forehead to my knees. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. A lifetime of images of my loving father shattered across my mind, with painful jagged edges. I placed one hand over my mouth and pressed it hard against my lips until the tide of emotion had passed.

Father’s voice was stern. “If you are referring to the fact I didn’t give you Annabelle’s hand in marriage, I had my reasons. You’ve received much else for your service already: land, wealth, and position. I can find you another wife if you wish, though I suspect yourland, wealth, and positionmade you quite capable of that yourself.” His sigh was audible even through the device. “It was your own stupidity that put you in that situation with Kasten. I regret that I couldn’t help you, but if I had gotten involved, Kasten would have seen my links with your experiments and then where would he have stopped? He could have destroyed us all. I had to distance myself to protect Fenland.”

Why had Father changed his mind about marrying me to Lyrason? Did he no longer trust him? No, that didn’t fit. Lyrasonwas still doing all the work that Father wanted kept secret. Lyrason might be theonlyperson he trusted. Father didn’t even trust me with what he was really doing. Had he engaged me to somebody else so I wouldn’t find out?

I clenched my fists in rage and frustration.

I didn’t trust anyone from court. It was one of the reasons I had set up my own information network. I trusted my informers, but maybe even that was naive. Now I knew I couldn’t even trust my closest family.

Lyrason’s voice lowered. “Well, now, the secret is revealed. How far are you going todistance yourself to protect Fenland? Will you have me tried and executed? If you do, Kasten will gain even more power and influence, fear and respect. You cannot let that happen. Also, you will completely disrupt our plans when we’re so close. Don’t think Mister Gregane’s work won’t be seriously delayed if I’m removed from the picture.”

I winced, knowing that Father was not going to appreciate that tone of voice. Sure enough his voice responded harshly. “I am the king, Lyrason. I will do what I need to do, and you cannot dictate that.” He paused and when he spoke again, his voice was more gentle. “I must be seen to punish you. However, I keep my promises. After everything is completed, I will reward you beyond your wildest dreams. You can still have Kasomere and everything else you want. You’ll be untouchable. We just need to be patient.”

Again, I heard the noise of moving feet. Lyrason’s voice softened as if his anger was somewhat appeased by Father’s words. “Sire, why are we skirting about the obvious? You only need to punish me if you want to appease Kasten. Don’t give him that power over you. He is your true enemy. He has hidden a weapon of extraordinary power. We don’t even know the full extent. That is a crime. I suspect he now has the power to kill you and your whole family if he wished. He could take over Fenlandmerely by lifting a finger. The throne is his whenever he wants it. You can’t afford to be patient with him any longer. And you need your allies around you.”

I waited, breathless for Father’s reply.

“You sound like you have a plan to deal with him. If that is the case, it had better work better than your last one.”

Lyrason spoke quickly. “Sire, we must destroy him as quickly as possible and place his new kryalcomy weapon in the hands of Stirling. Then nobody would ever challenge him, and we can end the war with a tremendous victory. That is the only way.”

Father sighed. “If I challenge Kasten directly, we risk pushing him over the edge. I don’t want to risk civil war.”

“Exactly. I…”

There was a knock on the study door, and I jumped at the harsh sound.

The king’s voice became more formal. “I have an important meeting, Lyrason, but when Kasten comes, you are to make a formal apology to him and his wife, and you will act humbly around them. You hear me? For now, we need to give him what little victories we can while we set things in motion.”

I removed the ear piece as the cacophony of several people entering the room bounced around my skull. I swallowed down bile. Father was behind the halfsouls. I could say it to myself over and over and still it was hard to believe. Worse, Lyrason would be allowed to continue his work, and more would suffer. He wasn’t going to be adequately punished at all.

Father really was trying to kill Kasten. His own son. The full horror of it hit me. Nausea stirred in my stomach, and I swallowed the sensation down.

I held still as Lyrason strode past the open doorway. His manner was refined, but he still looked furious. I wondered if Father was wise to save and humiliate him at the same time, whatever he promised.

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